Italian authorities are starting an investigation to see if the sinking of the luxury yacht Bayesian, which resulted in the deaths of seven people including British tech billionaire Mike Lynch, was due to manslaughter.
Prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio said that, at this point, the investigation is not focusing on specific individuals. However, he mentioned that it is possible the sinking could be linked to manslaughter or causing a shipwreck through negligence.
The Bayesian sank near Porticello, close to Palermo in Sicily, after an unexpected storm early on Monday morning. Fifteen people were rescued from the water, including Lynch’s wife and the yacht’s owner, Angela Bacares.
A search of the water and the sunken yacht over the following days found the bodies of seven people: Mike Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah; American lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo; Morgan Stanley executive Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy Bloomer; and Recaldo Thomas, the yacht’s chef. Lynch had recently been cleared of fraud charges in the U.S., and Christopher Morvillo had been one of his lawyers, while Jonathan Bloomer had testified on Lynch’s behalf.
An investigation is ongoing to determine how the yacht Bayesian sank. Investigators plan to recover the sunken yacht from the seabed, where it is lying on its side about 160 feet underwater.
Prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio mentioned that salvaging the yacht is important for its owners and managers. He also noted that the focus of the investigation could potentially shift to examining individual responsibility.
The incident has confused naval experts because the yacht should have been able to handle a storm of that size. Additionally, no other boats in the area reported any damage from the storm.
Survivors of the yacht Bayesian, including the ship’s captain, James Cutfield, have been interviewed by authorities about the incident. However, they have not yet shared their stories publicly. According to prosecutor Raffaele Cammarano, Cutfield has been very cooperative with the investigation.
A maritime legal expert told USA TODAY that the incident could result in lawsuits and possible criminal charges against Cutfield. Mitchell Stoller, a maritime expert and captain, explained that Cutfield was responsible for monitoring the weather and preparing the yacht to handle rough conditions, rather than staying anchored. Italian authorities have indicated that the Bayesian was likely anchored before the disaster occurred.
It is not clear whether Cutfield has hired a lawyer to represent him, and attempts to reach him through a Facebook profile believed to be his were unsuccessful.
Why Did the Bayesian Sink?
Giovanni Costantino, CEO of The Italian Sea Group (which owns the yacht’s builder, Perini), told Reuters that the sinking was caused by “indescribable, unreasonable errors” made by the crew, rather than problems with the yacht’s design.
Prosecutor Raffaele Cammarano said that the passengers were probably asleep when the storm hit. This might explain why many of them were unable to escape. Girolamo Bentivoglio Fiandra from Palermo’s Fire Brigade noted that the bodies of most of the victims were found on the left side of the boat. This suggests that as the yacht was sinking, they may have gone there in an attempt to find air.
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